Better performance?

[Rickoo]

I'm using a Dahua DH-IPC-HFW2831T-ZAS. Optical zoom is at 100%. I'm also digitally zooming about 4x additional. Video isn't as smooth as I would like and I'm not sure if it is the limitations of the camera I'm using or a setting.

Here is a screen shot of my video settings:



Here is a short video of what I'm describing. You can see the snow stopping every second or two. Can also see the background updating. Is this just as good as it gets or it the digital zoom maybe effecting the quality?

 

[adamg]

I think your first step should be to verify if this is a camera stream stutter or a viewing device decoding stutter, as your video is apparently a screen capture of a mobile device. I recommend using a Windows PC to view the footage in the camera's web interface, or the RTSP stream in VLC. See if it stutters like that when viewed that way.

Regarding the maxed out zoom with additional digital zoom, it suggests you purchased the wrong camera for this application. Is there a comparable model with longer focal length available?

Personally I would recommend turning on Smart Codec, then try turning down the quality by 1 number at a time to see if you get better results.

These scenes with random 'things' (snow, rain, wind) moving quickly through the view are tough for the encoders to deal with, especially when they are trying to run at the limit of a constrained variable bitrate. So by turning down the quality and turning on Smart Codec you might be able to get bitrate under the constraint, thereby keeping the stream looking smooth.

 

[Rickoo]

I think your first step should be to verify if this is a camera stream stutter or a viewing device decoding stutter, as your video is apparently a screen capture of a mobile device. I recommend using a Windows PC to view the footage in the camera's web interface, or the RTSP stream in VLC. See if it stutters like that when viewed that way.

I get similar stutter on my windows 10 laptop. I've looked at the video on a laptop with IE11, on an old Nexus 7 tablet as well as my android smart phone with TinycamPro. It's worse on the Nexus 7 but certainly still apparent on the laptop and smart phone. Maybe that would indicate it's at least partially the device?

Regarding the maxed out zoom with additional digital zoom, it suggests you purchased the wrong camera for this application. Is there a comparable model with longer focal length available?

The cam I bought was an 8MP varifocal with 4x zoom. I really wasn't sure how wide the FOV at full optical zoom of the cam would be and thought I would try it and see. It's about 15 feet wide at the distance the camera is from the feeder. (16 feet) For the remaining zoom I've been using digital. I'm sure this cam will get used elsewhere when I upgrade. This isn't used at night and my thought was that to obtain the highest detail I could get was to go with the 8MP unit. After playing with the IPVM camera calculator It turns out that a 12x zoom camera would be better suited. I've since learned that an 8MP camera with 12x or greater zoom is a bit more than I care to invest in this. I've been looking at a Hikvision DS-2DE4A425IW-DE. It's a 4MP, 25x zoom PTZ dome for around $600.

Personally I would recommend turning on Smart Codec, then try turning down the quality by 1 number at a time to see if you get better results.

I've tried this. Same (or similar) results.

These scenes with random 'things' (snow, rain, wind) moving quickly through the view are tough for the encoders to deal with, especially when they are trying to run at the limit of a constrained variable bitrate. So by turning down the quality and turning on Smart Codec you might be able to get bitrate under the constraint, thereby keeping the stream looking smooth.

I'm okay if this is the best this camera can do for this application. Just wondered if there was anyway to smooth out the video a bit.

Any camera suggestions for this application would be appreciated!

 

[Rickoo]

Didn't get the quotes right in the above. I responded in line with your comments!

 

[bp2008]

It looks to me like your player is probably trying to play frames immediately when they come in (for minimal delay). iframes are relatively huge so they take longer to download, and the stutter appears to be happening upon each iframe. You can improve the situation by increasing the iframe interval and by reducing the quality setting. Smart Codec also might help since I think it eliminates normal iframes from the encoding process or something. Just don't use Smart Codec if you use Blue Iris software.

 

[Rickoo]

I have iframe listed under the sub stream paramters but not in the main stream. Is this correct?

 

[adamg]

I have iframe listed under the sub stream paramters but not in the main stream. Is this correct?

No, not correct. You probably aren't using the secondary stream, so its settings don't matter, and you could disable it on the settings page. Turn On Smart Codec in main stream.

Regarding field of views and zoom rating, the zoom rating itself isn't where you went wrong. A 3x or 4x zoom range is typical of all of these varifocal cameras, regardless of the brand. But most vendors offer a 'wide angle' varifocal and 'narrow angle' varifocal as two separate models. You bought the wide angle, I am suggesting in your installation you would be better served by a narrow angle model. Specifically these are indicated on the spec sheets as follows.
The model you bought lists these specs:
Focal Length 3.7mm~11mm
Angle of View H:112°~46°, V:60°~26°

A narrow angle model would have focal length starting at about 10mm and going to about 30mm, with angle of views also much smaller, something like Horizontal 50-10 degrees. See attached Pelco spec sheet, which lists both versions of their camera model:

It's possible Dahua doesn't offer a camera with the narrow angle varifocal lens.

 

[mark_whocares]

try setting you bit rate to custom and run something closer to 40960 to see if that helps at all. if it does you can look to see about what number works best for you that might be lower but this is just to see if smooths things out.